Many consumers have noticed the abundance of products on the market that contain Shea butter. Search along the cosmetic, beauty, or body care aisles in local drug stores and find items like Shea butter lotion, Shea butter soaps, Shea butter lip balms. And while at the store browsing the aisles, you should soon discover that Shea butter is a main ingredient in many hair conditioners, shampoo's also. So, what exactly are the benefits associated with using Shea butter? Well, read on!

What is Shea Butter?

Shea butter is abstracted from the seed of the African Shea tree. Pure natural Shea butter is commonly ivory to yellow in color. And Shea butter is a favorite additive in many cosmetic products because of its great moisturizing qualities. Shea butter is also used in many food products and as a replacement for cocoa. Now for a little background. Shea butter was first discovered in Africa where the inhabitants used Shea butter for everything from cooking to preparing ointments and salves. In recent years many manufacturers have discovered the wonderful qualities of Shea butter and exported African Shea butter to other countries to be used in various cosmetic preparations.

Shea Butter Benefits

According to researchers, the exceptionally high fatty content in Shea butter makes it an excellent skin moisturizer. And Shea butter enthusiasts also claim that the product has exceptional health related qualities. Other Shea butter benefits include:

Healing scar tissue

Treat eczema

Heal rashes

Treat dry skin

Cure skin blotches

Treat dark spots

Cure chapped lips

Treat stretch marks

Treat wrinkles

Good sun block

Hair conditioners

A hair moisturizer

Researchers report that pure natural Shea butter has the most benefits. Shea butter substitutes are not as beneficial to the user as the pure quality Shea butter. One way to tell if the Shea butter is pure is to put it to the heat test. Pure natural Shea butter melts quickly when exposed to heat.

Shea Butter Sources

Wondering where to find Shea butter products? Pure Shea butter is readily available at local health food stores. Find cosmetic products containing Shea butter at local drugstores and retailers like Walmart, Target. And purchase Shea butter online at sites like drugstore.com or Amazon.com.